Helmets ‘useless’ in major bike accidents, says new study

Experienced cyclists should be free to choose whether they âfeel the wind in their hairâ rather than be forced to wear a helmet.

Cycle helmets are useless in the event of major accidents, says a new study (Picture: Alamy)

That is the message coming out of a new study which suggests protective headgear is useless in the event of a serious accident.

âLooking at evidence, it does not matter if people are wearing a helmet or not, any serious accident on a bike is likely to kill them,â said Dr Carwyn Hooper, from St Georgeâs University of London.

His team pointed to evidence in Australia where 80 per cent of cyclists killed or seriously injured were wearing helmets.

âPeople die from smoking all the time but no one is banning cigarettes.

Heroin is very dangerous and yes, should be banned. There is more important stuff to worry about,â said Dr Hooper, who conducted the research in response to legislation making the wearing of cycle helmets compulsory in Northern Ireland.

âIf competent adults wish to cycle with their hair (or their shiny plates) exposed to the wind, rain, and sky, then they ought to be able to do so without interference from the government or anyone else.â

However, he said children should be made to wear them because helmets can protect them from minor crashes and tumbles which they are more prone to.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents recommends that allÂ cyclists wear a helmet âthat meets a recognised safety standardâ.